I chose to research the Moskowitz Prize, because I have heard how much it influences the Zionist life in Israel. I want to find out more about the Moskowitzw's themselves. What is there background? Where do they come from? What is there family status? I would also like to understand exactly how the people are chosen? What are they chosen for? What is the goal of the prize?
I will interview Josh Ettinger, whose life is full of devotion to the land of Israel. I want to find out what he does exactly? How his mechina started? Why? What influenced him to make aliyah, serve in the army, and start a Mechina? Where does his motivation come from?
For my personal connection, I want to find a creative way to put all the things I will learn together- connect the different ways to help Israel, into one.
The Moskowitz Prize for Zionism was established by Dr. Irving and Cherna Moskowitz. Cherna Moskowitz was born in 1931 and raised in Wisconsin to parents who immigrated to the United States in the early 1900's. Cherna Moskowitz and her brother were well aware of the difficulties their parents faced during the depression, but she was fortunate to have dedicated and devoted parents who nurtured her and gave her the confidence to believe she could help others who needed a helping hand. As the ninth of thirteen children, Irving Moskowitz was born in 1928 in New York City to Polish immigrant parents. His family soon moved to Milwaukee where he grew up in a poor, close-knit neighborhood, where education was highly emphasized. Young Irving, always competitive was an avid baseball player. With a glove won from a friend in a bet, he played on the local streets and playgrounds and became an All-Star outfielder in the Municipal AAA League of Milwaukee. He had a .421 batting average and was offered contracts by both the Chicago and Cleveland professional baseball organizations. He turned them down to pursue his dream of becoming a physician. Dr. Irving & Cherna Moskowitz recently celebrated their marriage of 61 years. They have 8 children, 42 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
"Next to raising my children, working for the Irving I. Moskowitz Foundation has been the most exciting and rewarding endeavor of my lifetime," said Cherna Moskowitz. "Since its inception in 1988, we have donated $116,442,819.20 to non profit organizations." The Moskowitz Prize is one of the many ways Irving and Cherna donate their time and money helping others. The goal of this prize is to help develop Zionism in Israel, and support the people who dedicate their lives, acting from a feeling of personal responsibility, for the land of Israel. Every year three winners are chosen by the public committee. The winners are people whom the committee sees as reflecting the best of Zionist action – in the fields of social action, education and settling the Land. $50,000 is awarded to each of the winners.Some of the recent winners are Rav Chanan Porat, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, and Major General Meir Dagan. The winners win for many kinds of life works, for example –
Chanan Porat was an IDF paratrooper in the 1967 Six Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War, founder and leader of the Gush Emunim movement to resettle Yehuda, Shomron and Aza, a political figure, educator and chessed (charity) activist. Porat served as member of the Israeli Knesset for many years, as a member of the Techiya party, the NRP and a founder of the National Union. Porat was among the founders and leaders of the “Orot” chessed network, and he continued his Torah based teaching to many.
Yehoshua Fass is co-founder of Nefesh B’Nefesh and has served as the organization’s Executive Director since 2002. After an Israeli relative of Rabbi Fass' was murdered in March 2001 by a terrorist bombing, he was compelled to embark on a personal mission, which in the following years made a significant impact on the State of Israel and the Jewish people. He founded Nefesh B'Nefesh, which revolutionized western Aliyah by removing the financial, professional and logistical obstacles that prevent many individuals from actualizing their dreams.The face that all these people dedicate their lives for Israel, makes them worthy of receiving the prize, and with it – as Irving and Cherna hope – will continue to our country.
Profile
Josh Ettinger – Making a differcnce Avital Lieberman How does a person make a difference? I am pretty sure almost every person asks himself that question some time during their lifetime. Though it is hard to search for a way to make a difference, because it almost always involves stepping out of your comfortable environment and collides with the convenient life you're used to. Josh Ettinger never let that stop him. Josh grew up in the cozy, easygoing country of America. He was born in New Jersey. At the age of three his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Then at age thirteen his family moved to Detroit, Michigan. He was always around nice family and friends, enjoyed playing varies sports and was a good student. He never imagined leaving this comfortable life behind. When he finished high school, he came to Israel to learn for a year, at Yeshivat Har Etzion. After spending a year in the yeshiva, Josh decided to make Aliyah and join the army. It was a big decision for him, but he was willing to sacrifice his convenient life in America for his beliefs and his country. Josh never took the easy road; He did what he believed in. Josh made aliyah on his own. He was a commander in Sayeret Golani. After the Army, he studied at Bar Ilan University, completing a degree in Political Sciences, International Affairs, and Army Strategies. Josh loves playing sports, 'hanging out' with friends and going on hikes, especially in Israel, with family and friends. He is married to, as he says, "the prettiest and most amazing girl in the world named, Tamar" and has a ten month-year-old son named Matan. Josh's family made aliyah a year and a half after him.
As mentioned, Israel is Josh's main and most important principle. Fight for the country. Work for the country. Live for the country. That’s why he worked as a tour guide for the Jewish Agency. He led tours for birthright and similar tour groups from abroad. It is important, he says, to connect to your past, your history – your nation and your country. At some point, Josh was looking for something more. "The idea started in January 2011. A man from Philadelphia was looking for a program that would fit the needs of his son. The program most similar to what he was looking for was a girls program called Midreshet Yeud. He approached Midreshet Yeud and asked them if they were ever interested in opening a similar program for boys? Before I knew it I was involved in helping start this exciting new program." That’s how a new journey began. Josh became the director of the program.
Mechinat Yeud is basically a unique Efrat-based, post high school program geared to young men seeking spiritual and emotional growth combined with a meaningful Israel experience without all of the rigors of full-time Torah study. This is how Josh describes the principles of the Mechina: "Mechinat Yeud strongly believes that the four walls of the Beit Midrash must be expanded to include all activities that foster the spiritual growth of a Jew. That’s exactly how we run our program. The four walls of our Beit Midrash include chessed-volunteer opportunities, frequent trips to foster love of Israel and an appreciation of Jewish history as well as vigorous physical activities." Mechinat Yeud is a post high school boy's gap year program that has a blend of Torah studies, volunteer opportunities, physical challenges, experiences within the country and interactions with outstanding and inspiring leaders from all segments of Israeli society. The purpose of the program is to educate students to appreciate Torah and to revere G-d in a way that will encompass all aspects of their lives; to inspire them to live a life founded on Torah, service of Hashem, and kind deeds. Josh found this as a great to help create and start something new. No other program like this exists and he feels that there is certainly a need for it! The Mechina started at the beginning of the year, though Josh already feels connected to the program and boys. Before Succot Josh took the students on the hike called Yam L' Yam. They hiked for three days straight, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Kinneret. It was very fun but challenging at the same time. In the middle of the third day one of the guys was ready to quit. He felt that his feet were aching badly and that he could not go on. The others guys from the Mechina would not let him quit. They told him "we started as a group and we will finish as a group". One of the guys took his bag and the other students helped push him forward. It was so nice to see such an act of unity between a group of guys who did not even know each other a month and a half before. Josh also involves his wife in the program, he says it’s a family project. Tamar does everything. From teaching ulpan, helping with the guys, and most importantly giving him all of the support that he needs.
As I said before, Israel is very important to Josh; "I feel that it is very important for Jews all around the world to come to Israel." he says, There are a lot of students graduating high school that feel pressure to continue straight into college, forgetting about taking some time off to be in Israel. This is a big mistake. The reason that American Jews live as comfortably as they do is because of the people that live in Israel and because of the Israeli army. I am not saying that everyone needs to immediately make Aliyah and join the army but what I am saying is the least that a young teenager can do is show support by coming to Israel." Josh inspires so many people, with his outstanding love and devotion to the land of Israel. He has not planned exactly what he'll do in the future, but with the help of Hashem the Mechina will be successful and we will see where it will lead him and his family.
We all want to help Israel. We all want to take a part in the work, the wars, the celebrations and the struggles. The main question is how. How do we contribute to our country? There are so many different ways. From making aliyah, volunteering, serving in the army, to donating money, learning torah, building houses, working the land and so much more. In my project, I tried to express the connection of all these ways. Some people may not agree with others, some might say "donating money is not enough" or "learning torah is not the way", but I think each individual should contribute in the way they know how, the way they feel connected.we are all part of the same Israel, we all want peace and freedom, and as long as we don’t get along with our neighboring countries, we should at least respect each other. The Israeli flag is all of ours mutual signal, and this is how Ludwig August Frankl describes it: "When sublime feelings his heart fill, he is mantled in the colours of his country. He stands in prayer, wrapped in a sparkling robe of white. The hems of the white robe are crowned with broad stripes of blue; Like the robe of the High Priest, adorned with bands of blue threads. These are the colours of the beloved country, blue and white are the colours of Judah; White is the radiance of the priesthood, and blue, the splendors of the firmament" //Ludwig August Frankl// This song describes the deep connection to our Jewish colors and flag, which I believe we should all feel. We should all love one another and understand each other's way of life, because after all, we all believe in Israel, and we all aspire to make it a better place.
Reflection
I had a very interesting experience making this project. I had to actually interview a person, which turned out to be pretty fun and very enriching. I learned so much, and feel that a real live interview gives special opportunities to find out so much, and get to all kinds of topics. I never did anything similar to this in the past, and I think I tackled it pretty well.
I found out how much the money that is donated by the generous Dr. Irving and Cherna Moskowitz finds its way directly to a great cause, thanks to the prize. The public committee carefully chooses three people each year, three personalities who devote their lives to the land of Israel. The goal of this prize is to help develop Zionism in Israel, and support the people who dedicate their lives for Israel.
A person I feel is very much like these description, is Josh Ettinger, the young man I interviewed. I have learned that Josh is the director of the mechinat yeud program. Mechinat Yeud is basically a unique Efrat-based, post high school program geared to young men seeking spiritual and emotional growth combined with a meaningful Israel experience. The purpose of the program is to educate students to appreciate Torah and to revere G-d in a way that will encompass all aspects of their lives, and most importantly – connect them the land of Israel.
From my personal project I understood the meaning of the Israeli flag, which connects all the different part of our jewish nation, and all the different ways people help our country.
This project has opened my eyes and inriched me with knowlage of those who devote everything for what they believe in. it taught me some of the many ways each of us can tribute. This project inspired me to do as much as I can, for the sake of Israel. Bibliography
Table of Contents
Ways to contributeAvital L
Rationale
I chose to research the Moskowitz Prize, because I have heard how much it influences the Zionist life in Israel. I want to find out more about the Moskowitzw's themselves. What is there background? Where do they come from? What is there family status?I would also like to understand exactly how the people are chosen? What are they chosen for? What is the goal of the prize?
I will interview Josh Ettinger, whose life is full of devotion to the land of Israel. I want to find out what he does exactly? How his mechina started? Why? What influenced him to make aliyah, serve in the army, and start a Mechina? Where does his motivation come from?
For my personal connection, I want to find a creative way to put all the things I will learn together- connect the different ways to help Israel, into one.
Research
Zionistic Hero's
The Moskowitz Prize
Cherna Moskowitz was born in 1931 and raised in Wisconsin to parents who immigrated to the United States in the early 1900's. Cherna Moskowitz and her brother were well aware of the difficulties their parents faced during the depression, but she was fortunate to have dedicated and devoted parents who nurtured her and gave her the confidence to believe she could help others who needed a helping hand.
As the ninth of thirteen children, Irving Moskowitz was born in 1928 in New York City to Polish immigrant parents. His family soon moved to Milwaukee where he grew up in a poor, close-knit neighborhood, where education was highly emphasized. Young Irving, always competitive was an avid baseball player. With a glove won from a friend in a bet, he played on the local streets and playgrounds and became an All-Star outfielder in the Municipal AAA League of Milwaukee. He had a .421 batting average and was offered contracts by both the Chicago and Cleveland professional baseball organizations. He turned them down to pursue his dream of becoming a physician.
Dr. Irving & Cherna Moskowitz recently celebrated their marriage of 61 years. They have 8 children, 42 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
"Next to raising my children, working for the Irving I. Moskowitz Foundation has been the most exciting and rewarding endeavor of my lifetime," said Cherna Moskowitz. "Since its inception in 1988, we have donated $116,442,819.20 to non profit organizations."
The Moskowitz Prize is one of the many ways Irving and Cherna donate their time and money helping others.
The goal of this prize is to help develop Zionism in Israel, and support the people who dedicate their lives, acting from a feeling of personal responsibility, for the land of Israel. Every year three winners are chosen by the public committee.
The winners are people whom the committee sees as reflecting the best of Zionist action – in the fields of social action, education and settling the Land. $50,000 is awarded to each of the winners.Some of the recent winners are Rav Chanan Porat, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, and Major General Meir Dagan. The winners win for many kinds of life works, for example –
Profile
Josh Ettinger – Making a differcnceAvital Lieberman
How does a person make a difference? I am pretty sure almost every person asks himself that question some time during their lifetime. Though it is hard to search for a way to make a difference, because it almost always involves stepping out of your comfortable environment and collides with the convenient life you're used to. Josh Ettinger never let that stop him.
Josh grew up in the cozy, easygoing country of America. He was born in New Jersey. At the age of three his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Then at age thirteen his family moved to Detroit, Michigan. He was always around nice family and friends, enjoyed playing varies sports and was a good student. He never imagined leaving this comfortable life behind. When he finished high school, he came to Israel to learn for a year, at Yeshivat Har Etzion. After spending a year in the yeshiva, Josh decided to make Aliyah and join the army. It was a big decision for him, but he was willing to sacrifice his convenient life in America for his beliefs and his country. Josh never took the easy road; He did what he believed in.
Josh made aliyah on his own. He was a commander in Sayeret Golani. After the Army, he studied at Bar Ilan University, completing a degree in Political Sciences, International Affairs, and Army Strategies.
Josh loves playing sports, 'hanging out' with friends and going on hikes, especially in Israel, with family and friends. He is married to, as he says, "the prettiest and most amazing girl in the world named, Tamar" and has a ten month-year-old son named Matan. Josh's family made aliyah a year and a half after him.
As mentioned, Israel is Josh's main and most important principle. Fight for the country. Work for the country. Live for the country. That’s why he worked as a tour guide for the Jewish Agency. He led tours for birthright and similar tour groups from abroad. It is important, he says, to connect to your past, your history – your nation and your country.
At some point, Josh was looking for something more. "The idea started in January 2011. A man from Philadelphia was looking for a program that would fit the needs of his son. The program most similar to what he was looking for was a girls program called Midreshet Yeud. He approached Midreshet Yeud and asked them if they were ever interested in opening a similar program for boys? Before I knew it I was involved in helping start this exciting new program." That’s how a new journey began. Josh became the director of the program.
Mechinat Yeud is basically a unique Efrat-based, post high school program geared to young men seeking spiritual and emotional growth combined with a meaningful Israel experience without all of the rigors of full-time Torah study. This is how Josh describes the principles of the Mechina: "Mechinat Yeud strongly believes that the four walls of the Beit Midrash must be expanded to include all activities that foster the spiritual growth of a Jew. That’s exactly how we run our program. The four walls of our Beit Midrash include chessed-volunteer opportunities, frequent trips to foster love of Israel and an appreciation of Jewish history as well as vigorous physical activities."
Mechinat Yeud is a post high school boy's gap year program that has a blend of Torah studies, volunteer opportunities, physical challenges, experiences within the country and interactions with outstanding and inspiring leaders from all segments of Israeli society. The purpose of the program is to educate students to appreciate Torah and to revere G-d in a way that will encompass all aspects of their lives; to
inspire them to live a life founded on Torah, service of Hashem, and kind deeds. Josh found this as a great to help create and start something new. No other program like this exists and he feels that there is certainly a need for it!
The Mechina started at the beginning of the year, though Josh already feels connected to the program and boys. Before Succot Josh took the students on the hike called Yam L' Yam. They hiked for three days straight, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Kinneret. It was very fun but challenging at the same time. In the middle of the third day one of the guys was ready to quit. He felt that his feet were aching badly and that he could not go on. The others guys from the Mechina would not let him quit. They told him "we started as a group and we will finish as a group". One of the guys took his bag and the other students helped push him forward. It was so nice to see such an act of unity between a group of guys who did not even know each other a month and a half before. Josh also involves his wife in the program, he says it’s a family project. Tamar does everything. From teaching ulpan, helping with the guys, and most importantly giving him all of the support that he needs.
As I said before, Israel is very important to Josh; "I feel that it is very important for Jews all around the world to come to Israel." he says, There are a lot of students graduating high school that feel pressure to continue straight into college, forgetting about taking some time off to be in Israel. This is a big mistake. The reason that American Jews live as comfortably as they do is because of the people that live in Israel and because of the Israeli army. I am not saying that everyone needs to immediately make Aliyah and join the army but what I am saying is the least that a young teenager can do is show support by coming to Israel."
Josh inspires so many people, with his outstanding love and devotion to the land of Israel. He has not planned exactly what he'll do in the future, but with the help of Hashem the Mechina will be successful and we will see where it will lead him and his family.
Personal Connection
We all want to help Israel. We all want to take a part in the work, the wars, the celebrations and the struggles. The main question is how. How do we contribute to our country? There are so many different ways. From making aliyah, volunteering, serving in the army, to donating money, learning torah, building houses, working the land and so much more.In my project, I tried to express the connection of all these ways. Some people may not agree with others, some might say "donating money is not enough" or "learning torah is not the way", but I think each individual should contribute in the way they know how, the way they feel connected.we are all part of the same Israel, we all want peace and freedom, and as long as we don’t get along with our neighboring countries, we should at least respect each other. The Israeli flag is all of ours mutual signal, and this is how Ludwig August Frankl describes it:
"When sublime feelings his heart fill,
he is mantled in the colours of his country.
He stands in prayer,
wrapped in a sparkling robe of white.
The hems of the white robe are crowned with broad stripes of blue;
Like the robe of the High Priest,
adorned with bands of blue threads.
These are the colours of the beloved country,
blue and white are the colours of Judah;
White is the radiance of the priesthood, and blue,
the splendors of the firmament"
//Ludwig August Frankl//
This song describes the deep connection to our Jewish colors and flag, which I believe we should all feel. We should all love one another and understand each other's way of life, because after all, we all believe in Israel, and we all aspire to make it a better place.
Reflection
I had a very interesting experience making this project. I had to actually interview a person, which turned out to be pretty fun and very enriching. I learned so much, and feel that a real live interview gives special opportunities to find out so much, and get to all kinds of topics. I never did anything similar to this in the past, and I think I tackled it pretty well.
I found out how much the money that is donated by the generous Dr. Irving and Cherna Moskowitz finds its way directly to a great cause, thanks to the prize. The public committee carefully chooses three people each year, three personalities who devote their lives to the land of Israel. The goal of this prize is to help develop Zionism in Israel, and support the people who dedicate their lives for Israel.
A person I feel is very much like these description, is Josh Ettinger, the young man I interviewed. I have learned that Josh is the director of the mechinat yeud program. Mechinat Yeud is basically a unique Efrat-based, post high school program geared to young men seeking spiritual and emotional growth combined with a meaningful Israel experience. The purpose of the program is to educate students to appreciate Torah and to revere G-d in a way that will encompass all aspects of their lives, and most importantly – connect them the land of Israel.
From my personal project I understood the meaning of the Israeli flag, which connects all the different part of our jewish nation, and all the different ways people help our country.
This project has opened my eyes and inriched me with knowlage of those who devote everything for what they believe in. it taught me some of the many ways each of us can tribute. This project inspired me to do as much as I can, for the sake of Israel.
Bibliography
"Biography", Irving Moskowitz Foundation, 2011, 21\12\2011,
http://www.moskowitzfoundation.org/bio.html
"The Lion of Zion Award Winners", "The Prize", The Moskowitz Prize for Zionism, 2010, 16\12\2011, http://www.moskowitzprize.com/eng/home.htm
Fendel, Hillel. "Porat, Dagan and Fass Win 'Lion of Zion' Prize, Arutz Sheva, 3/24/2011, 18\12\2011
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/143107#.TwB44zWn9IE
Ettinger, Josh, Mechinat Yeud director, Personal Interview, Migdal Oz, 15\12\11